The Never-Ending Zipfit Discussion

[Noodler]

Hey @Noodler, there is a bit of a contradiction in your instructions.
First you write:

Then you write:

Which is it?
Your first post says to heat both the liner and the shell, take out the liner first, and then put it in the heated shell.
Is that right?
I have already heated the shell and placed the liner into it, so I thought I would try reheating the liners @ 225 and putting them in the cold shells, as you indicate in another post.
Thoughts, oh oracle of Zipfit?
They should hire you to write a set of instructions.

Like any thread, there's chronology here. I don't expect everyone to read this entire monstrous thread, but there is discussion that I had to alter the instructions due to the introduction of heat moldable shells. Those shell types are why I now recommend only heating the liners. However, if you're in a Lange (or something else that's not heat moldable), the original instructions are still fine.

 

[Blue Streak]

Like any thread, there's chronology here. I don't expect everyone to read this entire monstrous thread, but there is discussion that I had to alter the instructions due to the introduction of heat moldable shells. Those shell types are why I now recommend only heating the liners. However, if you're in a Lange (or something else that's not heat moldable), the original instructions are still fine.

I really appreciate the insight, as I am sure do many others.
So I cooked the liners only today and wore the boots for at least an hour.
I don't know if they are broken in just yet, but they are starting to feel pretty good.
We'll see on Wednesday at LL.

 

[givethepigeye]

Fixed spoiler on RS130. Seems to be fine. Will find out for sure next week. I xacto’d the velrco off - since it’s where my Lange liners set up and I know I ski even more poorly w/o them in - so no real downside to anchoring them.

 

[Blue Streak]

First day on the Zipfits.
If they aren't broken in yet, they are doing a great impression of it
The control and precision available while skiing in these liners is so far superior to any other boot/liner I have ever experienced.
I could hardly be more delighted.
My only concern is that they break in more and become too loose
But right now, they are darned near perfect.

 

[Noodler]

First day on the Zipfits.
If they aren't broken in yet, they are doing a great impression of it
The control and precision available while skiing in these liners is so far superior to any other boot/liner I have ever experienced.
I could hardly be more delighted.
My only concern is that they break in more and become too loose
But right now, they are darned near perfect.

Breaking in is not breaking down. The OMFit cork compound will never permanently compress like foam. Fear not..

 

[AmyPJ]

Well, I received two liners yesterday, the World Cup (without the rivets) and the Corsa. The Corsa is supposed to be for narrow-lasted boots, which I have at 92mm. I explained to Chris at ZipFit that a 92mm boot on me still has a lot of room, hence why he threw the WC in the shipment. I took one look at the Corsa and knew it wouldn't work. I am familiar with ZipFit and how to mold them, etc. so I heated the WC up yesterday, threw my footbeds in (such a task with Hottronics) and knew I made the right choice.

Skied them today. I am so stinkin' excited about them. I found the tips of my skis! I found all sides of my cuff! My skis don't shimmy uncontrollably on flats and cat tracks! I don't have to make huge moves to get on my edges! My husband has hounded me since we met 4 years ago to "stand up!" when I ski. I have told him over and over that I can't! Well, today I could! I believe that I have long femurs in relation to my tibia and that combined with hypermobile ankles has made me struggle with over-flexing from the ankles on up. The tongue on these liners is such the perfect level of thickness and height that I can stand up, flex my ankles, and my shin rests against it and flexes the boot without me having to make any other big moves. Pretty impressive for little me in a 120 flex boot.

And the heel hold. Incredible. It made everything feel so much smoother today. I had very little fatigue in my quads, which has been haunting me a lot this season as I ski more and more difficult terrain. I had ample room to wiggle my toes and still felt like I had incredible control.

Can't wait to ski them in variable conditions, where I have always struggled and always felt it was due to my boots just not being snug enough. Hopefully we'll get some snow next week.

 

[Tony Storaro]

And the heel hold. Incredible.

Not too shabby, right?

Glad you like them.

 

[Brad J]

Well, I received two liners

Welcome to the club

 

[Tony Storaro]

Fixed spoiler on RS130. Seems to be fine. Will find out for sure next week. I xacto’d the velrco off - since it’s where my Lange liners set up and I know I ski even more poorly w/o them in - so no real downside to anchoring them.

View attachment 126451

Please make sure you share your opinion after testing this set up. If it works I am going the same way.

 

[givethepigeye]

Please make sure you share your opinion after testing this set up. If it works I am going the same way.

works totally fine. Don’t see downside. Do you move your spoiler intraday?

 

[marsound]

threw my footbeds in (such a task with Hottronics) and knew I made the right choice.

How did you deal with the Hottronics element and cable? Did you remove it and reattach to the footbed after heating/molding or cut the liner first and route the cable after heating?

 

[AmyPJ]

How did you deal with the Hottronics element and cable? Did you remove it and reattach to the footbed after heating/molding or cut the liner first and route the cable after heating?

I routed the cable after heating. Removing the heating element from the footbed is not easy.

 

[marsound]

I routed the cable after heating. Removing the heating element from the footbed is not easy.

Thanks, that's helpful. I'm still thinking Intuition, when seconds count after heating...

 

[chris_the_wrench]

I'm at about 17-18 days straight in my Zipfit liners. I had some slop in my right ankle(every boot Ive owned), so I ordered a few tubes of OMfit from Zipfit. UPS managed to loose my package but it showed up last night(2 weeks from CO to MT). I had previously picked up 48" of 1/2" dowel rod at the hardware store for about $2. I sanded the tip down abit to take off the edge and then marked at 2.25" intervals upto 9"(the length of the OMfit cartridge). Heated a tube for 30 seconds in microwave, still too firm. 30 seconds more and some was coming out the end, abit too long. Slipped the cartridge into the outside bladder of my Zipfit and plunged in about 5/8's of a tube, I think I actually ended up with about 1/2 a tube in the liner after abit of a messy start. Slipped my foot into liner, liner into boot, flexed a bunch and yeah! Nice and tight again. I may put some into the tongue tonight after I ski this afternoon. The extra OMfit that came out during the heating process is fun to play with and very interesting, it's amazing how it can 'move' when its warm and then retain it's shape.

One lesson I learned is to remove the plunger BEFORE the tube that the OMfit is shipped in cools. My dowel rod is REALLY stuck in there now with a good portion of OMfit to use. I plan to heat it with a heat gun later and see if I can separate the 2 then, If not I'll cut it off, I have 4' of dowel after all.

 

[locknload]

At long last!!! I ordered Corsa's direct from ZipFit and they were too loose around the ankle. I'm in Jackson this week and they recommended that I just to go JH sports since they are master fitters for ZipFit. He immediately identified the World Cup as the correct model, warmed them up and dropped it in my boot and it literally fit well right out of the box. I skied it all day and it got better and better as the day wore on. The fit and heel hold really were game changing. The stock Lange liner wasn't the worst I've had but it was nothing special. The control and energy transfer into the ski was really something. Conditions were primarily dust on crust and I really did feel more on top of my skis then I should have in those conditions and the boots felt great all day.

His trick for getting the liners in...when you foot in them...is basically a glorified, overpriced shoehorn that some guy in UT invented. I paid...wait for it...$30 for this piece of plastic (will post a pic later) but it does work as advertised. He said a lot of the hybrid boots have rougher material inside the back of the cuff that resists the liner going in without some help. He did show me how to get out of the boots and the liner in one move and I tried it today and it worked. I have to say...for all my years of skiing....its really a failure that I didn't try a ZipFit liner sooner....they really are that amazing. I'll be sending the Corsa back for a refund since I don't need it know. If there's one place I'm willing to totally over-invest in skiing..its my boots. As we all agree..they really are everything. So many skis I could be happy with off the shelf...but the boots and liner need to be totally dialed. I am ecstatic!

 

[givethepigeye]

What is the difference between the “WC-Leather“ and the ”WC - Sidewinder- Leather“ - not sure I understand the difference other than more of that black material (whaterever it is). Thanks

 

[Noodler]

What is the difference between the “WC-Leather“ and the ”WC - Sidewinder- Leather“ - not sure I understand the difference other than more of that black material (whaterever it is). Thanks

The "sidewinder" option provides additional plastic reinforcement down the entire medial side of the liner. Supposedly this provides more power for edging movements. I have never skied a sidewinder model.

 

[Tony Storaro]

Mine are Sidewinders, but I have never skied the other version, so no clue how they differ in use.

 

[Noodler]

Mine are Sidewinders, but I have never skied the other version, so no clue how they differ in use.

How easily did that extra plastic reinforcement mold to the contours of your boot shell? That's one aspect I've wondered about.

 

[Tony Storaro]

How easily did that extra plastic reinforcement mold to the contours of your boot shell? That's one aspect I've wondered about.

Tell you the truth I do not see much in terms of molding to the boot shell, there is something minimal in the ankles, never really though about that. Molding is on the inside of the liner. It took me just one heating to get them spot on and after applying the UHMW tape I really do not even think about them anymore. Just put them on feet, then in shells and ski.